Independent verification

We don’t do cleanup—we make it better. ORAU is the leading group that verifies decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) contractors’ efforts at radiologically contaminated sites across the United States.

As the primary independent verification contractor for all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cleanup projects and the only verification contractor for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), we perform independent verification to determine the effectiveness of cleanup and ensure that regulatory compliance criteria are met before a site is ready for release.

If you are looking for a proven organization with extensive experience in the field of independent verification, look no further than ORAU. Since 1980, we have built a reputation of superior service and unbiased reporting. We have performed independent verification at more than 500 sites in 42 states and the District of Columbia, and are capable of handling your project no matter how large or small.

To provide an unbiased analysis of the D&D process, we use a combination of field and laboratory capabilities to control all aspects and phases of the verification process. Our team of qualified radiological experts follows systematic procedures to collect environmental samples using radiation detectors and monitors, spectrometers and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

Environmental samples are brought to our on-site radiological and environmental analysis laboratory and are carefully analyzed. In the event that field examinations indicate that contaminants remain above acceptable levels, our job is to make recommendations to bring the site into compliance.

How independent verification can benefit your D&D project:

Offers a cost-effective way to provide assurance that the site was successfully remediated to the risk-based release criteria.

Providing Independent Environmental Assessments for DOE

ORAU continued to provide environmental assessment services to DOE and NRC in 2014, from decommissioning plan reviews to independent verification of cleanup work and soil and water sampling. In one project through ORISE, ORAU experts conducted independent verification surveys of DOE’s remediation efforts at East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP).

Formerly the Oak Ridge K-25 Site or Gaseous Diffusion Plant, ETTP is undergoing extensive environmental restoration to prepare areas of the site for industrial reuse. One of the targeted areas—“Zone 2,” which is comprised of more than 800 acres of land—contained the main plant, laboratory, administration, disposal areas, maintenance shops and support facilities for the K-25 mission.

Independent verification surveys involved four land parcels totaling 100 acres, and results showed that soils within the subject land parcels satisfied regulatory requirements for release.